Goal: Equips students with a challenging integrated curriculum focused on STEM; instilling evidence-based thinking, reasoning, teamwork and creative skills that students can utilize in their daily lives.

In many ways, the AFA Agency’s approach to STEM teaching is informed by the CTQ Collaboratory's unique acronym of STEM, which takes the mystery out of STEM and makes STEM education fun for kids: Science is the study of the natural world; Technology means any product made by man to meet need or want; Engineering refers to the design process kids use to solve problem; and Mathematics is the language of numbers, shapes and quantities - [https://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2014/06/17/ctq_stem.html].

ADULT LITERACY & EMPOWERMENT

Our adult literacy & empowerment program provides cultural awareness education, job-readiness, English as Second Language (ESL) and other adult-related services to African immigrants resettled as refugees in the 5-county Philadelphia region. Our welcome center, which was the pastoral parsonage of Faith Immanuel Lutheran Church is currently being rehabilitated to host this program. The center will further provide office space for a family life center and a benefit bank project.

• COMMUNITY OUTREACH

In collaboration with Faith Immanuel Lutheran Church, Liberian Nurses Association, the African Diaspora Health Initiative and others, our outreach activities harness the strengths of these organizations in addressing the healthcare and other needs of the African Immigrant population in our region. In the intermediate future, we may start a culturally-sensitive "food cupboard" or provide space for an annex of the William Penn School District's ministerium food cupboard.

• OTHER OPPORTUNITIES

As AFA Agency builds capacity, we envision lesson-learned from our culturally-sensitive care and other resources would be replicated elsewhere and available to researchers and academic institutions, as well as public, private and third-sector groups.

There's real opportunity for the AFA Agency to harness the support of Faith Immanuel Luthern Church with the African immigrant population, the goodwill of the William Penn School District and others within the region to help turn the tide-for-good for children and families of this community. Faith Immanuel's pastor, the Rev. Dr. Moses Dennis, who came to the United States in the late 1990s from a refugee camp in Ghana, has become a critical link between the African immigrant community in the region and U.S. mainstream institutions. He earned a doctorate of ministries (D.Min) from the Philadelphia Lutheran Seminary, and enjoys the support of Lutheran institutions across the country, including the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). We intend to leverage his experience and knowledge, as warranted.